'Miss Bum Bum' Pageant Seeks Brazil's Best Butt (PHOTOS)

Brazil is gearing up for the "Miss Bum Bum" pageant, a nationwide contest to find the best butt in the country.

The nation's cutest derriere will be chosen out of 27 competitors, one from each of Brazil's Federative Units. Online voting will determine 15 finalists, who will travel to São Paulo in November for the "grand finale."

"[Brazilians] definitely have a thing with butts," said Brazilian Graciela Murano, writer and editor for Oddee, noting that "bumbum" is the word most commonly used in Brazil to refer to someone's rear end.pau

In her country, the 30-year-old says, most people know about the competition, but like to pretend that they're not interested.

In reality, though, "Every woman has read about it and won't admit it," she said, "and every man's dream is to be a part of the judging team."

Cibelle Ribeiro was one candidate who almost slipped through the cracks. Murano told The Huffington Post that Ribeiro was a national "favorite" for the competition, but was almost disqualified when judges suspected she may have butt implants, and the curvy contestant refused to take an X-ray.

Competitors of 'Miss Bumbum Brasil 2012', the contest for the cutest bottom, pose against a wall for local photographers before recording a TV program in Osasco, a surburb of Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 24, 2012. Brazil's 27 states and Federal District representatives compete for the cutest bottom. Competitors will be eliminated into 15 by internet voting on their website and the winner will be chosen at the grand final in Sao Paulo in November. AFP PHOTO/Yasuyoshi CHIBA (Photo credit should read YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/GettyImages)